One of the first programs you are going to need when creating a website is a web page editor. And the first editor I used was Kompozer.
As I was on a budget, I was glad to know that this web page editor is open source software which is free to use, all you need to do is download and install it, then you are on your away.
Kompozer has been designed for use on multiple operating systems, so it does not matter if you are a windows, mac, or Linux user, you will be able to use this web editing program.
Another great feature is its simplicity, this is mainly due to it using the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get ) format, because this software has been designed to be very easy to use, it is an ideal starter platform for those non-technical PC users who just want to be able to create nice, professional looking web pages without having to know web coding or HTML.
Kompozer also has a lot of other features that you would find in the higher end programs such as dreamweaver and Microsoft front page.
You are able to view the pages you have created in 4 modes
- Normal view.
- HTML view
- Page source view.
- Real time preview.
The toolbar has all the formatting features that are associated with a word processor such as:
- Spell check.
- Text and image alignment.
- Text styles.
- Copy and paste.
- Color pallet.
- Image editor.
It also has a built in CSS editor, and as the toolbar in Kompozer is fully customizable, you only need to show the buttons or icons for the features you regularly use or want to see. The WYSIWYG interface makes creating web pages easy by simply dragging each element and dropping it into the relevant place on the page.
Because Kompozer has its own built in FTP there is no need to use a separate ftp program, once you have created your web pages, a single click will upload the pages to your preferred web hosting account. It really is that simple.
Lack of support is one of the major disadvantages. However, there is a link in the program to the WYSIFA Forum, and there are numerous tutorials on you tube.
Overall, Kompozer is a very useful program, and as it has been created for a specific user ie the novice, it has proved to be very popular with people who are just starting out. Click here for more information on how to use Kompozer to create web pages.
